Thursday, November 25, 2010

Apple's iTunes store which provides applications for download on its popular mobile devices has approved an anti-gay application. The Manhattan Declaration is a statement of principles endorsed by fringe rightwing Christian groups that fights civil liberties and wants to tear down the barrier of separation of church and state. The Manhattan Declaration is an application designed to spread and mobilize homophobia in the name of religious liberty.

Spelled out in the Manhattan Declaration are a set of principles that boil LGBT people down to little more than deviant cretins. According to the Manhattan Declaration, society should refer to gay relationships as "immoral sexual partnerships," and all people of faith should adopt a belief that "LGBT people erode marriage." Colson, as the Declaration's author, even went so far as to say that gay people will destroy the family unit, and could bring down civilization as we know it. (Gay Rights - Change.org)

8 comments:

Anonymous
said...

apple iphone applications are very anti gay in general. you can't show a bare man's chest on a gay app, but bikini girls and and half naked bodies on straight apps. seems they are a bit out of touch. i did bring this to several gay rights groups attention. i think apple buys their silence.

Appalled as I am at Apple's intercourse with such right-wing neanderthals, I can't sign the petition. The petition asks Apple to drop the MARRIAGE DECLARATION app, not the MANHATTAN DECLARATION app! This makes it so easy for Apple to dismiss the petition saying, "We don't have such an app." Aslo, it doesn't say much for the credibility of the petition organizer who so blatantly misses the target, and the organization pushing this petition -- cause.org -- doesn't have a way to contact them except by signing the petition. This petition may be impassioned, but it's also ineffective and suspicious.

Solve the problem and stop being part of the iCult. Then tell the HRC that the business practices of an organization should be considered in their rating on the equality index (a la Target). Hit the buffoons in the wallet, that's the only way to get their attention.

Apple shouldn't even have the power to "pull" apps, frankly. Their app censorship policy bugs me to no end. I'm obviously no great fan of homophobic lunatics or their apps, but I don't want a policy I disapprove of used against someone just because I disagree strongly with their stance.